Contact for electric circuit-breakers and the like



Feb. 2, 1932. J. CHRISTIE 1,843,804

CONTACT FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 25, 1930 Patented Feb. 2, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN CHRISTIE, OF SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR 1'0 A. BEYBOLLE & COMPANY LDIITEID, OI HEBB'UBN-ON-TYNE, ENGLAND, A COMPANY 012 GREAT BRITAIN CONTACT FOB EEGTBIG CIRCUIT-BREAKERS AND THE LIKE Application fled February 25, 1980, Serial No. 431,263, and in Great Britain Bay as, 1829.

This invention relates to contacts for electric circuit-breakers and thelike,par t1cular1y to contacts of the socket type where n one of theicontachmakin members is flexibly supported to 've a eff-aligning action.

In a sel -aligning contact according to this invention, the contact blocks are attached by springy arms to a floating ring or collar, for example to a ring mounted so that it is ca pable of limited transverse movement relative to the axis of the member upon which it is mounted This member may be, for instance, a head or bushing forming part of or attached to one of the conductors of a circuit-breaker, and the floating ring may be mounted in a recess on the head the internal diameter of the ring being snfliciently large to allow of limited movement in any direction normal to the axis of the head.

At opposite ends of one or more diameters of the ring are "fastened springy arms, for instance metal. strips, each carrying at its free end a contact block. There may, for in stance be six of such blocksarranged so that the dorm together a hexagonal segmental soc at suitable for cooperating with a hexagonal plu The end of the pin and the surfaces othe contact blocks w ch first en age with it may be tapered or rounded.

lexible connections are made between the rincgand the head upon which it is mounted an preferably such connections are in the form oflengths of copper braid,"one end of each length bein clamped to one of the springy arms an the other to the head or bushing. Excessive outward or inward movement of the contact blocks, i. e. abnormal flexure of the springy arms may beprevented by plates or strips fixed at one end to the floating ring and provided at their other ends, adjacent to the contact blocks, with slots through which pass headed studs secured to the blocks. These strips may also serve to exert the necessary contact pressure between the contact blocks and the cooperating main contact.

In the accompanying drawing, which is a vertical section of one construction of contact according to this invention, A is a head of the conductors oi a circuit-breaker.

or bushing forming art of or attached toIone t is formed with a reduced portion or neck at A the end of this part being screwed to take a washer and nut A Before the nut and washer are screwed on a flanged member B, which constitutes the floating ring or collar, is placed round the reduced portion A and, as shown, it has a central hole of sufiiciently large diameter to permit the ring to move radially within limits in any direction.

The ring B carries springy metal arms C having at their ends contact blocks D which bear against the cooperating main contact E. Only two arms C are shown in the figure, but it will be understood. that six or any other gesired number may be mounted on the ring erably of steel, slotted to take a headed stud D fixed into the contact block D. These strips prevent excessive flexure oi the arms and also serve to exert the necessary contact pressure. Flexible conductors G, say of copper braid, connect each arm C with the head or bushing A. Y Y

lihe improved construction provides a very eficient form of self-aligning contact for circhit-breakers or parts of switchgear where contactmemhers more or less axially in line have to be separated and brought together again, the floating ring enabling the whole set of contact blocks to move for a limited extent transversely to the axis of the member upon which the ring is mounted.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is':-

1. In a self-aligning contact for an electric circuit-breaker, a main contact comprising in combination a head adapted to be connected to one of the conductors of the circuitbreaker, a stem on said head, a ring loosely mounted on said stem, springy arms attached to said ring, contact blocks on said springy arms, a second main contact movable relatively to the first main contact and cooperating with said contact blocks, and flexible con nections between said ring and said head.

ing in combination a headadapted to be con- Each arm C is hacked by a strip F, pretnected to one of the conductors of the circuitbreaker, a stem on said head, a ring loosely mounted on said stem springy arms attached to said ring, contact blocks on said sprirxify arms, a second main contact movable atively to the first main contact and cooperating with said contact blocks flexible connections between said ring and said head, and backing strips attached to said ring and bearinflon said sprin arms.

testimony w ere'of I have signed my name to this specification. JOHN CHRISTIE. v 

